Whether you prefer canned salmon, tuna or sardines, canned fish is an excellent food to have on hand. It’s a convenient, as well as a nutritious and budget-friendly way, to add quick protein to lunch and dinner dishes. Great meal ideas using canned fish include soups, salads, casseroles and much more.
With tomato-based or cream-based chowder, you can make fast and easy chowders by starting with either a can of tomato or cream of mushroom soup. After heating the soup, just add your choice of canned fish and some cooked mixed vegetables and continue cooking just until heated through. Kernel corn is a great addition to cream-based chowders, while you may want to add broccoli or zucchini to tomato-based fish soups. The best thing is that you can customize your soups to the tastes of the people in your household.
Perfect summer meal ideas using canned fish can be as simple as adding canned salmon or other fish to a bed of raw spinach and other vegetables. You just top the salad with dressing and croutons and serve it with garlic or corn bread and a cold drink. You can also stir in some canned salmon or tuna to plain pasta salad to wake up your lunch and add some extra protein.
Seafood casseroles can be satisfying comfort food and they make perfect meal ideas using canned fish. You could add canned sardines to scalloped potatoes and top with grated cheeses to turn it into a supper casserole rather than a side dish. A kedgeree is an Indian dish make with rice, hard cooked eggs and canned fish that can be served as a casserole for dinner. If you buy the packaged noodle and sauce mixes on sale and keep canned fish on hand, you can have a quick, hot lunch or dinner when you need it.
Tasty meal ideas using canned fish are almost endless. Many people like to make fish cakes, or patties, using canned fish mixed with seasonings and mashed potatoes. You can pan fry the fish cakes and serve them with lemon or sauce and any side dishes you like. Even tacos can be made using canned fish mixed with salsa and seasonings instead of ground beef.